Families in suburban Cook County public housing to get free internet in Comcast program funded by federal CARES Act dollars

All families with school-age children in suburban Cook County in Chicago public housing buildings will be eligible for free broadband internet under a program funded through federal coronavirus stimulus money. The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) joined Comcast under the company’s Internet Essentials Partnership Program to begin delivering internet to nearly 14,000 children in more than 6,500 households, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. Every student who lives in the public housing complexes or has a voucher qualifies for the program, which will run for at least nine months. About 600 families are currently signed on to the service, HACC Executive Director Richard Monocchio said. The county is paying for the $9.95-per-month bundle for these families with about $600,000 in federal CARES Act money.